NYE in Shrevetown: a wide array of entertainment choices listed at Shreveport Bossier Fun Guide dot com

Shreveport: Red River and Neon Bridge, a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

Looking for more choices in places to sing "Should auld acquaintance be forgot . . ."?

A baker's oven full of choices are listed at ShreveportBossierFunGuide.com.

Be safe.

Bang!

Shreveport Dog Park Alliance continues fund raising with 'Wine & Beer Tasting With a Bite' at Barnwell on Sat, Jan 14, 7 to 10 pm

Shreveport Dog Park Alliance, a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

"We are having a fund raiser: Wine and Beer Tasting with a Bite! Sat-Jan 14, 7-10 pm, Barnwell Art Center," says Cynthia Keith.

"The Bite? Wines and beers have animals on the labels! For a $35 donation enjoy the silent auction, live music, funniest animal photo contest, heavy hors d' oeuvres, Lion coffee, Raising Cane's sweet tea and soft drinks."

"See the Shreveport Dog Park Alliance Facebook page (event page: Wine and Beer Tasting with a Bite) for info/funny animal photo entries. Dress in the colors of your pet or animal prints, but please leave pets at home for this one," adds Keith.

Please respond if you are attending, for more info call me at 469-1325.

Cynthia Keith-Top Dog
Shreveport Dog Park Alliance

What to do with the Red River Entertainment District, formerly Shreve Square: put the emphasis on day life rather than night life

Red River Waterway Visitor Center, a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

In the Times editorial "Reboot of Red River District on," Liz Swaine, executive director of the Downtown Development Authority, is quoted thusly, "What is loud and clear is that no one wants to go back to what it was. The desire is for more and different restaurants, amenities such as a bakery, coffee shop, dry cleaner, a place that sells Louisiana-made goods."

The Times pointed out that "the presence of CoHabitat, a shared workspace for professionals who work independently or on a freelance basis, just down the street has spurred new creative interest in the area that needs nourishment to grow."

We agree on emphasizing the day life of the charming space under the bridge. And have some ideas about resetting the tone of the daytime activities.

The district might create an alliance with SciPort and the Red River Waterway Visitor Center. I would like to see a program that send students - or tourists or senior citizens - to all 3 locations, one after the other.

At the District there could be River-centered workshops for students, visitors and senior citizens built around these themes:

1. model boat sketching and building - flatboats, steamboats, futuristic pontoon bridges.
2. architecture of the turn-of-the-century: make sketches and assemble models.
3. music and dance of the Red River valley - making percussion instruments and learning dances.
4. Creating stories and videos about the history of Shreveport based on historic source material. What about the story of the doctor who shot the town bully?
5. Best practices workshop: perusing photos of smart uses of riverfront development in many cities - from Little Rock to London - and making a sketch or writing a dream of how that might be implemented on Shreveport and Bossier's banks.

KSCL at 5 pm on Mon, Dec 26: discussion of the I-49 Connector between Lee Jeter, State Rep Roy Burrell and Kim Mitchell, Shreveport

Lee Jeter, Roy Burrell, Kim Mitchell, Robert Trudeau, Shreveport, a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

In struggling to become a more progressive city, Shreveport citizens are listening to the alternatives being put forth in regards tying I-49 south of the city to I-49 going north.

One of the pressing questions: do we build it through Allendale or not?

Lee Jeter of the Fuller Center, State Rep Roy Burrell and architect/planner Kim Mitchell offer a review of a recent public hearing on the I-49 possibilities.

Stream the program, originally aired on Dec 19, by going to http://kscl.fm.

Or find 91.3 fm on a radio.

Boxing Day Celebration on Mon, Dec. 26, at Burning Spear Cafe, new Caribbean restaurant at 1173 Louisiana Avenue, Shreveport

Gordon's chicken, a photo by debchrisjoseph on Flickr.

Burning Spear Cafe, a new Caribbean restaurant located at 1173 Louisiana Avenue (formerly Louisiana BBQ) in Shreveport, will host a Boxing Day Celebration on Mon, Dec. 26, says Chris Jay.

The event, beginning at 4 p.m., will feature live music and Caribbean food prepared by Chef Gordon Nurse.

Guests are encouraged to bring an instrument and join the live music performance. BYOB.

(318) 210-8555

Photo Debbie Buchanan Engle.

Lower prices on musical instruments than the internet, promises Don Teach at Shreveport Music on his after-holiday selling

Fender P Bass Special, a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

"Ever notice the after-holiday sale prices on the Internet are the same as before Christmas?" So asks my long-time friend Don Teach.

"Shreveport Music will have lower prices than the Internet and a real after-Christmas sale. Come see. Make me an offer!"

The Fender P-Bass Special above was purchased from Spt Music and I've been back many times without hesitation to get neck tweaking, etc.

Buy local.

Shreveprt Music is not open on Mondays.

A Better Shreveport-sponsored Holiday Bike Ride in Broadmoor postponed to Tues, Dec 27; begins at Johnny's Pizza at 5:30 pm

Commuters, a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

"Our Holiday Bike Ride starts at Johnny's Pizza on Preston at 5:30, Tuesday, Dec 27 (postponed a day)," says Stephanie Pedro of A Better Shreveport.

"Hope to see you there! I will have some hot cider for us to sip on before we set off, then beer and pizza at Johnny's afterwards!"

The tour is open to all.

Winter greens are rising at Sankofa Gardens, Shreveport; Sankofa 2012 calendar ready too, says Leia Lewis

Leia Lewis, Sankofa Gardens, Shreveport, a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

Sankofa Gardens is a creative community and a fresh food oasis in the Linwood-Caddo Heights area of Shreveport. It is part of a nonprofit organization that is dedicated
to celebrating and cultivating the art, culture, and community life
of people of African descent, says Leia Lewis.

"Our central work is Sankofa Gardens, an organic community garden and
learning campus based in Shreveport, Louisiana. Sankofa Gardens is the
site of creative and educational programming designed to unify community,
strengthen family bonds, and enhance life skills for prosperity among
residents of the Caddo Heights-Linwood area and beyond.

Sankofa Vision, Inc. welcomes people of all backgrounds who seek
personal enrichment and wish to create a better world."

A fundraiser is the deluxe Sankofa Calendar. Suggested donation is $21. See more at Sankofavision.org. Or say hello to Leia 318-230-2892.

Review: Copeland's Shreveport renovation nears completion, food continues tradition at E Bert Kouns near Youree

Copeland's, Shreveport , a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

Eggplant Pirogue (fried eggplant slices surrounded by cream sauce and pasta), is a sumptuous, creamy-crunchy, smile-provoking meal.

Based on a lunch enjoyed this week, Eggplant Pirogue at the midday price of 9.99 is a reason that New Orleans-minded diners will include Copeland's in holiday celebrations.

My lunch was delayed by the arrival of an unusual number of large parties, said the manager, so the wait time was offset by complimentary biscuits. Copeland's biscuits are virtually the same as those of Popeyes. They were light and high and managed an aura of both sweetness and saltiness.

Additionally, the meal was sealed with complimentary cheesecake. This gourmand chose the giddily foolish chocolate version. The body was wealthy with goodness; the crust was roegasmic.

Dishes that called my name from the menu included red beans and rice with andouille (6.99) and tomato-basil chicken (8.29).

The recent revamping of Copeland's has not been radical. Today it is perhaps a more open restaurant than ever, with sight lines that enable you to see more of your fellow diners in the main room. The banquet room has large windows facing Bert Kouns and looked like a photographer's dream.

Does stepping into the mahogany world of Copeland's enable one to escape the humdrum world of Shreveport-Bossier?

You'll have to answer that one.

Copeland's hours, menu and online ordering.

Highly recommended.

Performances of the multi-multi-media puppet show Fantastic Mr Fox extended to Jan 15 at Artspace Shreveport

Fantastic Mr Fox / Artspace Shreveport , a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

The creator of the live action / puppet story of Fantastic Mr Fox as seen in New Orleans and Shreveport, Arthur Mintz, writes that "I just wanted to let you know that the Dec. 31st extension of Fantastic Mr. Fox has sold out! We will extend again for a final 2 weeks. Through Jan. 15th."

Pam Atchison and William Joyce, who brought the show to Artspace, have encouraged people who love theater and art and who saw Fox early to see the show one more time.

Atchison declares that she sees Mintz as a wunderkind.

I'm in. Please see my first review here.

Tickets here.

Mister Christopher & Friends entertain at Columbia Cafe, Creswell Ave, Shreveport, on Fri, Dec 23

Mr Christopher & Friends at Columbia Cafe, Fri, Dec 23, a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

Tunesmith and multi-instigationist Chris M Alexander will sing for his supper at Columbia Cafe on Fri, Dec 23.

Friends include bluesy-jazzy singer AJ Haynes and Lead Belly aficionado Hayden Camp, formerly of the punktilical Noids and today residing and crooning the blues in Austin, Tx.

Photo Mr Christopher.

Kids and parents: check the holiday expligibles and fortinaciables at SciPort, Louisiana's Science Center on the Shreveport riverfront

100_3873, a photo by nsu_acs on Flickr.

Holiday programming has begun at Sci-Port: Louisiana’s Science Center and will continue daily from 2 – 5 p.m, says Karen Wissing.

Through December 30, at 2 and 4 p.m., take part in our Toy Making Workshops, where you can make a toy to take home and alleviate some of the stress on Santa’s elves! Toys to make include:

Cartesian Divers: Make a toy where you can see your underwater diver go from the top of the bottom of your water bottle “ocean,” and learn about buoyancy and Pascal’s Law.
Kazoos: Create an instrument that uses your voice and vibration to make music.
Spinning Tops: Explore inertia, friction, gravity and the centrifugal force while making your own top.

As a new program demonstrated daily at 3 p.m., Why Does Rudolph’s Nose Glow is a great addition to family memories made at Sci-Port this holiday season. Rudolph went down in history, but he’s not the only animal that glows! This program will teach visitors how and why some animals and minerals emit light. Participants will be able to examine glowing specimens and see how chemical reactions can result in a colorful show.

Don’t forget about our annual New Year’s at Noon celebration, too! This year, the party will take place between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 31. At Noon, start the New Year off with us as we commemorate our East Asian counterparts as they celebrate their New Year at Midnight. Come celebrate, and learn about the traditions of East Asian cultures, which include our traditional Dragon Dance! Plan to count down to Noon at Sci-Port with a balloon drop.

In addition to Sci-Port’s holiday programs, the popular holiday IMAX films, The Light Before Christmas and Santa vs. the Snowman, are back this season and showing until January 6, 2012. Visit www.sciport.org/IMAX for showtimes.

Robert Sprayberry, Dan Garner, Mark Griffith at Bistro Byronz on Fri, Dec 23, 8 pm

Robert Sprayberry, Los Angeles / Shreveport , a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

"Bobby Sprayberry, Mark Griffith & Dan Garner are back for this very special Christmas Eve celebration," says Dan Garner.

Photo Ella Davidson.

Priorities and exigencies in Shreveport's I-49 Connector route: on-air chat with Lee Jeter, Kim Mitchell and Representative Roy Burrell onKSCL at 5 pm, Mon, Dec 19

Recycling trees: Adriana Poland, Shanace Robinson & Lee Jeter, Shreveport, a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

"The I-49 Inner City Connector Project is part of the I-49 Corridor which runs from Winnipeg, Canada to New Orleans, Louisiana," says i49shreveport.com.

"The I-49 Inner City Connector will be a new interstate facility approximately 3.6 miles in length. It is proposed to intersect Shreveport in order to connect I-49 at the I-20 interchange with I-49 North in the vicinity of the I-220 interchange."

Among the informed voices in the discussion over connector routes is Lee Jeter of the Fuller for Housing, Representative Roy Burrell and planner Kim Mitchell of Morgan Hill Sutton & Mitchell Architects, L.L.C.

They will chat with Robert Trudeau on the program Time for A Better Shreveport on Mon, Dec 19, from 5 - 5:30 pm. The program broadcasts live from KSCL, Centenary College, at 91.3 fm.

Stream at http://kscl.fm.
Questions or remarks at 869 5297.

Non-traditional holiday dinner featuring local ingredients as prepared by Andrew Parsons, Shreveport, on KTBS on Tues morn, Dec 20

Andrew Parsons, Shreveport, a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

"Tuesday morning I’ll be at KTBS-3’s studio doing a segment on a non-traditional holiday dinner using as many local ingredients as possible," says Andrew Parsons.

"We’ll have a micro green salad, grilled duck and shrimp, herbed sweet potato, okra and shiitake mushrooms, and Perrin’s fig cake with a Satsuma frosting."

"Ninety percent of the ingredients used will be grown and/ or raised in the Ark-La-Tex."

Parsons won the attention of local foodies in Nov when he prepared a raw food / vegan Thanksgiving meal.

www.lagniappefoodsshreveport.com (318) 458-0830

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore on LPB on Thurs, Dec 15, 7 pm

Morris Lessmore / Moonbot Studios, Shreveport, a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

Grab a rare airing of "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore," says LPB.

"Tonight at 7, William Joyce & Brandon Oldenburg of Shreveport's Moonbot Studios will be in the LPB studios - see their poignant short film "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore," plus life behind the scenes at the studio. Check out their fabulous iPad app, too."

ShreveportHappyHour.com Unwind Downtown Pub and Culture Crawl on Thurs, Dec 15, 5 to 9 pm, begins at Artspace, 710 Texas St

Shreveport: Texas St, a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

ShreveportHappyHour.com Unwind Downtown Pub and Culture Crawl

Unwind Downtown Thurs, Dec 15, 5:00pm - 9:00pm. Come out to the December Pub Crawl in your favorite Christmas attire!! Wear an ugly Christmas sweater from your past, or go buy one. Personalize your sweater to show your festive, humorous, or sexy side; take your Christmas threads and cut, glue, tape, and/or pin things to your outfit and express your uniqueness. Start early on your Holiday celebration with good company downtown Dec. 15th, with the ShreveportHappyHour Pub Crawl.

Registration begins at 5:00pm at Artspace. Feel free to join us at any time as there will be plenty of drink specials
This Month's Participants:
Artspace
Ernest Orlean's Restaurant
Lake St Dance Hall
Noble Savage
Sandbar
Anyone 21 or older can register at Artspace from 5:00pm - 9:00pm (710 Texas Street). You will receive a free passport to direct you to the participating locations. Preregister at http://www.shreveporthappyhour.com/unwind/

Luke Thomas Eddy performs David Sedaris' The Santaland Diaries at MLP; adult show opens Th, Dec 15, 8 pm and continues to Dec 18

Luke Eddy, a photo by jonbolden on Flickr.

The Santaland Diaries, written by David Sedaris, takes us behind the cardboard candy canes and fake snow of Macy's Santaland in New York City, says Luke Eddy.

Guided by our not-so-friendly elf, Crumpet, we get to see what it's really like to be one of Santa's little helpers as they usher clueless tourists, obsessive parents and a slew of misbehaving children through their make-shift winter wonderland.

Make no mistake, our foul-mouthed little elf is here to skewer the holidays with a healthy helping of sarcasm.

This hour-long, one-man show starring Luke Thomas Eddy will open Dec 15 and run for one weekend only with performances Dec 15, 16 and 17 at 8 pm with a closing performance on Dec 18 at 2 pm.

$15 for adults, $12 for seniors and military, $10 for Centenary and non-Centenary College students with a valid ID.

Tickets can be reserved by leaving a message on the box office voicemail at 869-5242.

The Marjorie Lyons Playhouse is located on Wilkinson Street between Woodlawn Avenue and Alexander Street.

This show is rated-R due to adult language.

Bass Cats Ensemble to perform Dec 17, 18 at Riverview Theater in advance of the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra Holiday Pops Concerts

Bass Cats Ensemble / photo DR , a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

Chris Allen is directing a new group of upright bass players called the “Bass Cats” that will be performing on December 17th and 18th, says Allen.

If you arrive at the Shreveport Symphony concert a little early on those dates, you’ll hear Chris and five of his students playing holiday music in the lobby of the Riverview Theatre beginning around 7 pm.

The ensemble is fashioned after San Francisco bassist Barry Green’s “Green Man Group,” a dozen bass students who perform and tour together. Barry Green is known by symphony musicians as the guy who wrote “The Inner Game of Music,” a book dealing with the psychological aspect of music performance, which most serious musicians have read at one time or another.

Future information about the ensemble will be posted at www.chrisallenbass.com.

Benefit for LaTonia Barto at Fairfield Studios featuring Dirtfoot and Songbird on Fri, Dec 16, beginning at 7 pm

LaTonia Barto, West Edge Art Market, La Boardwalk / Lynn Laird, a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

"Latonia Barto is an artist and wonderful woman in her third round of battling against cancer whose husband Joey works here at Fairfield Studios," explains Clint McCommon. "To help the family, there will be a benefit at Fairfield Studios this Friday at 7pm. Dirtfoot and Songbird will be performing. There will also be an art auction with all proceeds going towards the Barto Family."

$7 donation at the door to attend. City Bar is sponsoring a cash bar with portion of those proceeds going to the Barto family as well.

Clinton McCommon, Manager, Fairfield Studios (M) 318 780-5924

Oliver! Academy of Children's Theater on Jan 6, 7 and 8 at RiverviewTheater, Shreveport

Oliver! Academy Children's Theater , a photo by Terri Eddington on Flickr.

The Academy of Children's Theatre will present the classic musical, Oliver!, at the Riverview Theatre in Shreveport
on Jan. 6 and 7 at 7:00 p.m. and Jan. 8 at 2:00, says Cynthia Whitaker.

The popular holiday show is the musical version of Charles Dickens's famous novel, Oliver Twist.

The local production boasts a cast of 40 of the most talented young performers in our area along with regional theatre adult actors including Nate Wasson as Fagin, Maddison Gilcrease as Nancy, Christian Dantes as Bill Sykes, John Peyton Pou as Dodger, and Trevor VanEaton as Oliver.

Tickets for the production are $15.00 for students, seniors (55 an older) and military, and $20.00 for adults.

Box office: 318-741-8310.

Angie White, Slow Food North La, and Martha Marak, Food Bank of NW La, guests on Time for A Better Shreveport, KSCL, Mon, Dec 12, 5 pm

Highland Blues & Jazz: Angie White, Shreveport, a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

Guests for Time for A Better Shreveport, Mon, Dec 12, are Angie White, who will
talk about the Slow Food movement - http://www.slowfoodnla.com/ - as
well as her econ dev work.

And Martha Marak, director of Food Bank
NWLa. - http://www.foodbanknla.org/index.cfm - who will talk about an
institution that is one of the city's proudest points of light.

Co-host is Carolyn Manning.

Stream at kscl.fm
Questions straight to the interview booth: 869 5297.

Review: Logan Sledge, Richard Folmer and Donna McKechnie evoke 1940's family dynamics in The Subject was Roses, River City Rep; show continues Sat, Dec 10, 7:30 pm, and Sun, Dec 11, 3 pm

Logan Sledge, Shreveport, a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

Exploring the nuances at play in a 1940's American family was surprisingly satisfying on Fri as River City Repertory opened The Subject was Roses.

A somber drama, Roses has no big secrets - no incest, no abortions, no diabolical abuse. Thus the weight of the show falls to the skill of the director and cast.

Donna McKechnie, veteran stage performer from NYC, became the embodiment of Middle American Mom. Richard Folmer, a dean of acting in this region, matched her as the Classic, Conflicted Dad. The question was whether young actor Logan Sledge might have the chemistry to inject salt and vinegar into their predictable lives.

On Fri night Sledge brought the timing, the empathy and ever-so slight edge, as well as the warmth, to the role of the son. The son who has returned from WWII and who may or may not fulfill his parents' goals.

Director Patric McWilliams has taken Sledge, slim and a subtly sexy guy, into a series of roles in River City Rep (in Doubt, The Rose Tattoo, The Lion in Winter among them) that offer this audience a portrait of a growing and affecting young actor. The Subject was Roses represents a quiet flowering of that partnership.

RiverCityRep. org
About 2 hours running time.

Celebrate Highland: A Holiday Home Tour is a bi-annual event on Sat, Dec 10, and Sun, Dec 11

Fairfield Ave, Shreveport, a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

Kenney Koonce recommends, "Celebrate Highland: A Holiday Home Tour. This bi-annual event happens Sat, Dec 10, and Sun, Dec 11. There are 13 stops on this tour, giving you a glimpse into historic homes ranging in style from cozy bungalows, stately four-squares, and gracious Southern Colonial mansions. We have grand Fairfield Avenue mansions built by the founding father's of Shreveport, one with a tie to the White House."

"Come enjoy a cool evening and see why more and more people are moving back to our historic city center," adds Koonce.

Highland Restoration Association

River City Rep on Fri, Dec 9, 7:30 pm, Sat, Dec 10 and Sun, Dec 11, 3pm: The Subject Was Roses

River City Rep: The Subject Was Roses, a photo by RCRT on Flickr.

"This is a unique opportunity for Shreveport theatre-goers to see a Tony Award winner/ Broadway icon in River City Repertory Theatre's production of The Subject was Roses," says director Patric McWilliams.

The show stars Donna McKechnie, Tony winner for the original A Chorus Line, and opens December 9 at 7:30 pm.

Logan Sledge and Richard Folmer share the stage with McKechnie.

The additional performances are December 10 (7:30 pm) and December 11 (3 p.m.) Call 318-868-5888 for reservations and additional information.

Rest in peace Jerelyn Gilstrap, independent theatrical producer and director of Shreveport

Jerilyn Gilstrap, Shreveport, a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

This weekend, as the 4-character drama Two Rooms was being performed at minicine?, the life and breath of the director/producer of that play, Jerelyn Gilstrap, collapsed.

Gilstrap had suffered bouts of severe health issues for years. Yet she kept herself alive by seeing the necessity of producing another drama to feed the intellectual needs of a small group of literary-minded Shreveporters.

The players completed their performances in Two Rooms.

A veteran of dramatic productions in Washington, DC and NYC, Gilstrap arrived in Shreveport in 2008 with a mission to produce the fiercely intellectual drama Copenhagen.

Between hospitalizations she lost most of the cast and crew and the site of that drama. Gilstrap, a well-read woman of uncommon determination, was not deterred. Eventually her production of Copenhagen took place at the LSUS Black Box Theater.

"Rather than a funeral home memorial service - which we know she would detest - we have decided to have a lunch-time friends and family get-together," wrote her sister, Jenean.

See more on the artful life of Gilstrap at her JCG Productions blog.

Shreveport Songs: ALEX SNOOK JONES - For My Worst (Blue Boy, circa 1965)

Alex "Snook" Jones photograph, undated.

Announcing a new post over at the Shreveport Songs blog...

Alex “Snook” Jones apparently spent more time playing piano around Shreveport than hanging out in studios cutting records. Nevertheless, he did leave a small legacy of recordings.

Around 1965, Jones recorded a 45 issued on Blue Boy Records. The credits state that he composed both songs while Harding Guyon Demarais (aka Dee Marais) handled the publishing. No other records have surfaced on this label, so perhaps it was a vanity project financed by Jones. The guitar playing reminds me of Shreveporter Jesse Thomas, though I’ve yet to uncover evidence supporting his involvement.

For the complete story and one of Jones's songs, see:
http://shreveportsongs.blogspot.com/2011/12/alex-snook-jones-for-my-worst-blue-boy.html

Requiescat in pace, Maestro John Schenaut, founding director of the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra

Maestro John Schenaut, Shreveport Symphony, a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

The year was 1948 and post-war Shreveport wondered what to do with itself. It was not clear that the US would muscle its way into a new era of prosperity.

Jimmie Davis' term as governor ended in 1948, says CaddoHistory.com. The governor hit the road as a full fledged entertainer, fronting his Sunshine Band. 1948 was also the year that KWKH first broadcast the Louisiana Hayride.

But there were music lovers in Shreveport who wanted to experience performances of something other than pop music. They coalesced around young violinist John Shenaut. On their minds was the founding of an orchestra and an opera.

Surely it was a struggle. In fact, Shreveport had already seen the formation and dissolution of a symphonic orchestra in the 1930's.

But the team used the charming Mr. Shenaut to galvanize a new effort.

Maestro Shenaut became the leader and the face of an organization that grew into an institution, the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra. He lead the SSO for some 30 years.

On Dec 2, 2011, Shenaut died. A vigil will be held on Tues, Dec 6, from 4:00 to 4:30 p.m. at Rose Neath Funeral Home, 1815 Marshall St., says the SSO. Visitation will follow from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m.

A funeral mass will take place at 11 a.m. on Wed, Dec 7, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 211 Atlantic Avenue, Shreveport.

The Maestro was well honored by Shreveport during his long life. The photo of Shenaut in wheelchair above was taken during a SSO concert in 2007 dedicated to his enduring energy.

Cole Brand, TEDx Red River series, and Deborah Allen, Philadelphia Center, chat on Time for A Better Shreveport on KSCL Monday at 5 pm

TEDx Red River series: Jeff Spikes, Clint McCommon, Marjorie Kouns, Cole Brand, John Grindley, Margo Shideler, a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

Cole Brand, former Houstonian, is taking the lead in planning the speakers and sites comprised in the TEDx Red River series (Technology Entertainment and Design; the X means it's an indie). The programs begin in January.

Deborah Allen is associated with the Philadelphia Center and is a community activist with numerous causes in hand.

Both will chat on-air at KSCL, Centenary radio, 5 to 5:30 pm on Monday. The program is Time for A Better Shreveport. Hosts are Robert Trudeau, Loren Demerath and Carolyn Manning.

Meetings of A Better Shreveport are open to all and take place on Mons, 6 pm to 7 pm. This week's meeting is a social mixer and takes place at Lake St Dance Hall.

Marabella Dunn, Shreveport, presents Backbone of Life series at the Barnwell Center; Thurs, Dec 1, 6:30 - 8:30 pm opening party for 3 shows

Marabella Dunn, Shreveport, a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

The Backbone of Life series, mixed media works by artist Marabella Dunn, is one of 3 exhibits opening at the Barnwell, Shreveport, on Th, Dec 1.

In the Wafer Gallery is a student show from Rebecca Francis. In the Main Gallery is a juried show of photography, painting and more called Holiday Art Show.